For most couples, the cost of a UK Unmarried Partner Visa is one of the largest costs when starting a life in the UK. The cost is not a single fee but a combination of the Home Office application fee and the Immigration Health Surcharge, with further optional and incidental costs on top. Underestimating the total can leave an applicant unable to complete an application that is otherwise ready. This post provides an overview of the cost of a UK Unmarried Partner Visa in 2026.
What does a UK Unmarried Partner Visa cost in 2026?
The two core costs of a UK Unmarried Partner Visa applied for from outside the UK are the Home Office application fee and the Immigration Health Surcharge. As of June 2026, the application fee is £2,064 and the Immigration Health Surcharge is £1,035 for each year of the visa. The unmarried partner route is a partner route under Appendix FM, so these costs are the same as for a Spouse Visa applied for from outside the UK, as explained in the comparison of the Spouse Visa and the Unmarried Partner Visa.
The optional priority services, and the incidental costs such as an English test and document translations, are additional. The figures below are taken from the published Home Office fee schedule and the Immigration Health Surcharge rates, both cited at the end of this guide.
What is the Home Office application fee?
The Home Office application fee for an Unmarried Partner Visa applied for from outside the UK is £2,064, under the fee schedule that took effect on 8 April 2026. In the fee schedule, the partner route appears under the heading Route to Settlement, which covers the five-year partner route that the Unmarried Partner Visa follows.
The fee is paid per applicant, so any dependent children included in the application carry their own fee. The application fee is non-refundable once the application has been decided, which is why placing the application in the correct category and meeting the requirements matters before it is submitted. The relationship and financial requirements for the route are examined in the guide on the Unmarried Partner Visa evidence.
How much is the Immigration Health Surcharge?
The Immigration Health Surcharge is £1,035 for each year of the visa, and it is paid in full at the application stage. An Unmarried Partner Visa granted on the five-year route from outside the UK is issued for 33 months, and the surcharge is calculated across that period. A period of more than six months that is left after counting whole years is charged as a further full year.
For a 33-month grant, the surcharge is therefore calculated as three years, which is £3,105 as of June 2026. The surcharge gives the holder access to the National Health Service on the same basis as a resident for the duration of the visa.
What is the total core cost?
The table below sets out the core cost of a single applicant for an Unmarried Partner Visa from outside the UK, as of June 2026.
| Cost | Amount (as of June 2026) |
|---|---|
| Home Office application fee (Route to Settlement) | £2,064 |
| Immigration Health Surcharge (33-month grant, charged as 3 years) | £3,105 |
| Core total per applicant | £5,169 |
The core total of £5,169 covers the mandatory costs for one applicant. It does not include the optional services or the incidental costs described below, and a separate fee and surcharge apply for each dependant included in the application.
What optional and incidental costs might apply?
Beyond the core costs, several optional and incidental costs commonly arise. The optional priority services speed up the decision for an additional fee. As of June 2026, the priority service for a out-of-country settlement application is £500, and the in-country super priority service is £1,000, each paid on top of the application fee.
Incidental costs vary by applicant but commonly include an approved English language test, where the requirement is met by a test rather than by nationality or a degree, and a tuberculosis test for applicants from listed countries. Certified translations are needed for any document not in English or Welsh, and a visa application centre may charge service fees for appointments or document handling. These costs depend on the applicant’s circumstances and the country of application.
How does the cost compare at extension and settlement?
The Unmarried Partner Visa is the first stage of a five-year route, and further costs arise at the extension and settlement stages. After the initial 33-month visa, an in-country extension is required to complete the five-year period, and indefinite leave to remain is applied for at the end of it.
As of June 2026, the fee for indefinite leave to remain is £3,226 under the 8 April 2026 schedule, in addition to the costs already paid across the route. The cost of the extension stage is examined in the guide on the spouse visa extension cost, which applies equally to unmarried partners, and the settlement cost is set out in the guide on the cost of indefinite leave to remain.
Frequently asked questions
For a single applicant from outside the UK, the core cost as of June 2026 is £2,064 for the Home Office application fee and £3,105 for the Immigration Health Surcharge across the 33-month grant, giving a core total of £5,169. Optional priority services and incidental costs such as an English test and translations are additional.
No. The Unmarried Partner Visa and the Spouse Visa are both partner routes under Appendix FM, and the Home Office application fee and the Immigration Health Surcharge are the same for both when applied for from outside the UK. The difference between the routes lies in the relationship evidence, not in the cost.
Yes. The Immigration Health Surcharge is paid in full at the application stage, calculated across the length of the visa. For a 33-month partner visa, it is charged as three years, because the nine months beyond the two full years is more than six months and is rounded up to a full year.
No. The application fee is not refunded once the application has been decided, including where it is refused. The Immigration Health Surcharge, by contrast, is refunded where an application is refused or withdrawn before a decision, because the holder will not have used the National Health Service access it pays for.
A fee waiver may be available on the family and human rights routes for applicants who cannot afford the fee, covering the application fee and the surcharge. It must be applied for and evidenced, and it is assessed against the applicant’s financial circumstances. It is most relevant to the ten-year route rather than the five-year route.
How Whytecroft Ford can help
The Whytecroft Ford immigration team advises unmarried partners and sponsors across the family visa routes, including on the costs at each stage of the five-year route. The team confirms which fees and services apply to a particular application, and prepares the application so that the cost is incurred once rather than twice through an avoidable refusal. This is particularly valuable for the couple budgeting for the whole route rather than the first visa alone. To discuss your application with our team, call 0208 757 5751 or use the contact form.
Sources
- Home Office immigration and nationality fees, 8 April 2026 – GOV.UK
- Pay for UK healthcare as part of your immigration application: how much you pay – GOV.UK
- UK family visa – GOV.UK
Written and reviewed by the Whytecroft Ford immigration team. IAA Accredited. All guidance is researched against primary sources, including the Immigration Rules, Home Office caseworker guidance and GOV.UK. Reviewed every six months, or sooner following a fee change.
